PIERRE, S.D. (WNAX) – South Dakota farmers are waiting for federal approval of the state’s plan for industrial hemp. South Dakota Farmers Union’s Lobbyist Mitch (rick-tur) Richter says the feds are looking at South Dakota’s hemp plan and a state Agriculture Department Hemp manager has been put in place.

He says once the federal government approves South Dakota’s plan, growers could start seeding next spring.

Recently Senator Chuck Schumer of New York asked Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to delay any approval of hemp growing until 2022 and to just let the pilot hemp approval contained in the 2014 farm bill continue. Richter doesn’t think delaying it would be a good idea.

Richter says those South Dakota farmers interested in planting hemp should start slow with 5 to 10 acres of it and see how it goes before proceeding.